An Average Joe in San Antonio

There are many places that make San Antonio unique.  Most of them are historic, but with the renovations of the Pearl Brewery, our city has a new hot spot that is attracting many interesting stores and restaurants.  La Gloria Ice House moved into the complex this past year and has fit right in.  Everything from the building to the menu proves that both the restaurant, and San Antonio’s culinary scene, has some chops.

As you walk towards the restaurant and see the calavera sitting on the bench, you know that you are in for a good time.  The restaurant gets every small detail perfect: from how their name is cut out of metal piece that holds items on your table, the table side purse rack for the ladies, and the really cool basket that the chips come in, the restaurant makes you feel carefree, like you are on a vacation.

The Margarita La Gloria: very blue, not so tart, and potent.

I had some friends who came into town from Austin and were looking at possibly relocating to San Antonio.  I wanted to highlight that our city also has a funky kind of vibe, so I decided to show off the Pearl Brewery, the Museum Reach river extension (they loved the F.I.S.H. sculptures), and La Gloria.

My friends have a 13-month year old daughter, and I knew that La Gloria would be the perfect place to take a toddler.  There is a good buzz in the air from all the conversation and how the acoustics work, so I knew she could be a little rambunctious without disturbing any restaurant goers.  Furthermore, with Pearl’s policy of “Please, Play on our Grass” I knew that mom or dad could take her outside to play.

La Gloria serves Mexican street food, so there are an abundance of tacos, tostadas, sopes, and tortas to choose from.  The portions are small to medium sized and are designed for you to eat and share with your table.

We wanted to try a little of everything so we got a molcajete of queso with chile, ceviche verde (on the suggestion of @ShrinkingFoodie), a traditional tlayuda (think Mexican pizza), panucho cochinita pibil, and tacos dorados de pollo verde (on the suggestion of Eva at Mesa a Mesa).

You absolutely have to order a molcajete when you go to La Gloria.  A molcajete is like a morter and pestle that is used to grind spices or prepare salsas in Mexican cuisine.  If you ever decide to purchase one, the best are made out of volcanic rock and you have to cure it out by grinding rice in it.  This will smooth out the molcajete which is very important because if you don’t do it the sharp edges will tear at your ingredients instead of grind them.  Trust me.  My friend tried to make a salsa with one I bought her before she cured it and it wasn’t working…

At any rate, the molcajetes at La Gloria come out of the oven at like a billion degrees and the contents are bubbling hot.  Don’t believe me? Check out this video that I shot.

My girlfriend went to La Gloria once before and raved about the queso molcajete so we ordered it.  The one we got was a little different because in addition to the queso there were a lot of chiles mixed in.  Regardless, it was delicious with just a very mild spice.  We spooned the boiling hot cheese onto corn tortillas and devoured the bowl in no time.

Since we ordered so much food and to avoid being verbose, I am going to show a picture and briefly say what I liked about each of them for the remainder of this post.

Ceviche Verde at La Gloria Ice House

I am not that big of a fan of ceviche, but the ceviche verde was working; what tied it together were the olives.

Traditional Tlayuda at La Gloria Ice House

The traditional tlayuda was on an enormous fried tortilla and had black beans, cheese, lettuce, avocado, and some really nice tomatoes.  Kick up the heat by topping it off with some of their house salsa.

Panucho Cochinita Pibil at La Gloria Ice House

The panucho cochinita pibil is the item that I would have left out (although it still was very good!).  The pork was similar to pulled pork that you might get at a barbecue joint without the BBQ sauce.

My favorite dish of the night, Tacos Dorads de Pollo Verde at La Gloria Ice House

The tacos dorados de pollo verde was my favorite dish of the night, and I don’t even like tomatillo sauce! (Whenever I hear of a verde sauce I immediately think of New Mexico green chiles so my taste buds are never prepared for the tartness of the tomatillo.)  You get three mini tacos that are stuffed with perfectly marinated chicken and topped with farmer’s cheese and crema that give it a smooth taste.  Be sure to get this dish when you visit!

To wash it all down, I had to try the Margarita La Gloria, which is a blue colored margarita.  While it is not as tart as traditional margaritas, it is every bit potent.  They also have a wide variety of aguas frescas, and when they brought out the sandia, or watermelon drink, I had to get a cup of it.  I liked that it was not too sweet and there was a good amount of pulp in it, in addition to the fact that you get unlimited refills!

Be sure to leave room for dessert! The Tres Leches Cake at La Gloria Ice House rocks!

Finally, you would be remiss not to order the tres leches cake at La Gloria.  Instead of garnishing the cake with sauce or chocolate, they let it stand on it’s own merits and it works quite nicely.  Incredibly sweet and moist, regardless of how full you are you have to have a bite.

Chef Johnny and his staff have created such a great experience for locals and tourists alike.  You would be well served to make a stop in midtown for not only a great atmosphere that extends from the restaurant to the river, but also for some incredible food.

Value: You can spend a little or a lot at La Gloria; while the plates can add up, you do have the ability to control how much you get.
Atmosphere: Such an amazing atmosphere! The devil is in the details and La Gloria gets it! What’s even better is that you are right by the Museum Reach portion of the river so you can go for an after dinner stroll
Service: The service had a couple of hiccups, but overall was pretty good (in fairness, they were slammed when I went); the main thing was  when my friend ordered a Caipirinha and got a pink fruity drink; the waiter said that it was correct but I know that the drink should not be pink; we pressed further and he finally got the right drink from the bartender.
Salsa: Fantastic salsa with the right amount of heat! The chips were delicious as well.
Taste: You aren’t going to go wrong with a meal at La Gloria, there is something for everyone and it all tastes fantastic! They are very deserving of the best new restaurant nod!

Twitter: Follow @LaGloriaSA
Facebook: Like La Gloria
Website: http://lagloriaicehouse.com
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My love of restaurants in shack like structures took me to Rita’s Enchiladas the other day.  Situated on Austin Highway a couple of blocks West of Perrin Beitel Road, Rita’s is a restaurant built out of corrugated tin and red paint and serves up more of traditional brand of Mexican food in a compact menu.

The inside of Rita’s is no frills with tables, a cashier’s counter, a fridge for sodas, and a few bits and pieces of Mexican folk art on the wall.  I sat down at one of the tables and was greeted by the lady who was behind the counter.  She seemed a little short, but I think it may have been more due to her ability to speak English and the fact that she wanted to get orders in before the lunch rush rather than her personality.

Corrugated tin and red paint; this is my type of place to get Mexican food.

At any rate, I looked at the menu and found that there were about seven to ten lunch plates that all ranged between $6 and $6.50.  I decided to go with The Mix as it contained a little of everything: two enchiladas, two flautas, and one taco dorado.  After I saw the tall glass bottle of Mexican Coke in the fridge, I ordered one when my food came out.  The $2 charge for Mexican Coke is always worth it, as a soda made with sugar cane is always superior to the corn syrup American version.

My food came out promptly and I was impressed with the amount on my plate.  The waitress brought out both red and green salsas; the green version was the real deal and had a nice heat to it.

The taco dorado was my favorite item on the plate; it is a smaller fried corn tortilla folded like a taco but almost enclosed like an empanada.  Unlike an empanada, the shell is very crispy and inside had refried beans and meat.

The enchiladas were good but not what I was expecting.  Instead of being a Tex-Mex cheese enchilada with yellow cheese and soaked in gravy, their enchiladas were a red corn tortilla rolled loosely with only the white farmer’s cheese.  There was not a thick sauce, and while I missed it at first, I did enjoy the lighter feeling of this enchilada.

The Mix plate - two enchiladas, two flautas, and a taco dorado. Comes with potatoes and roasted pepper as garnish. iPod headphones not included.

The weakest link was the flautas which resembled a taquito more than a flauta.  The corn tortilla was wound so tight that it resembled Cruella DeVille’s long cigarette and barely had any meat in it and the green sauce that topped it didn’t have much flavor.  The plate was garnished with a healthy amount of potatoes and even had a grilled pepper that helped spice up the flautas.

Overall, Rita’s fit the bill as being good, quick, Mexican food that is not too expensive.  If you have grown tired of all the Tex-Mex fare and are looking for something a little different for lunch, give Rita’s Enchiladas a shot.

Value: 8.5/10 (at $6 – $6.50 for a lunch this is reasonable, but you will want to add a Mexican Coke which might make it a more expensive lunch)
Atmosphere: 7/10 (really no frills kind of plain dining environment; not enough ephemera to make it a quirky hole in the wall)
Service: 7.5/10 (not bad service but not anything remarkable; at the end of the meal I did get to talk with the son of the family that owns the restaurant who was really nice)
Salsa: 9/10 (green salsa is spicy and will kick up your meal)
Taste: 8/10 (good food but different than what you might be expecting; the flautas are what brought the rating down as they just aren’t all that good)
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ritasenchiladas
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Prior to moving to San Antonio, one of my good friends and owner of Giorgio’s in Lubbock, told me that I absolutely had to go to La Fogata.  He said that it was one of his favorites of San Antonio with good food and margaritas that would put you on the floor.  For the past five and a half years I have enjoyed going to La Fogata and realized that I hadn’t blogged about it.

La Fogata is located off of Vance Jackson and has the feel of being a neighborhood restaurant.  Parking used to be a pain as their tiny lot would fill and patrons had to park in the neighborhood (some home owners would place orange cones in front of their houses to try to keep people from crowding their street).  A year or two ago, the restaurant purchased a couple of houses across the street that they tore down to make an overflow parking lot that has alleviated much of the pain.

While there is limited indoor seating, the reason to go to La Fogata is to sit on the patio.  You will enter the patio through a huge wooden door that was once the entrance to a hacienda built in the 1880s in Mexico.  The patio has a lot of neon lights, so there is a soft blueish-pink glow.  No matter when you go there will be a wait, but don’t worry, grab a margarita from the bar and sit by the fountain while you wait for your name to be called.

I always have enjoyed the house margarita (it is on my Margarita Foodspotting Guide for San Antonio) because it is pretty big, more tart than sugary sweet, and poured by a heavy handed bartender.  My girlfriend decided to go with the frozen raspberry margarita that came with a test tube of Grand Marnier inside it (I have no clue why they didn’t mix it in).  I have to say, I was impressed by her fruity margarita and stole more than one sip from it.

The margarita at La Fogata; don't let that flower fool you, it is quite strong!

Their chips and salsa are some of the best in town with a roasted salsa that is a dark red color and a smokey flavor.  This is my dad’s favorite salsa and I will stop by HEB on the way out of town to pick him up several jars.  On each visit to La Fogata I will go through two of the bowls of salsa myself because it is so tasty.

La Fogata is one of those places that you have to get an appetizer.  I like to get either the queso flameado which they light on fire at your table side, guacamole a mano which is also prepared fresh at your table, but this time I opted for the rajas chile poblano (a lot of places might call it rajas con crema).  This appetizer is a bowl of poblano peppers and onions sauteed with white and cream cheese.  You scoop the mixture on a tortilla and it is really rich.

Rajas Chile Poblano under the neon glow of the patio.

For my main course, I went with the Tacos Norteños which is crispy tortillas filled with refried beans, cheese, and beef fajita meet and is cook on the grill.  The tacos are topped with cabbage, tomatoes, and slices of avocados.  They use a lot of fajita meat in these tacos so you definitely get your money’s worth.  While the borracho beans are amazing, the Mexican rice is not all that good.  They have improved it since my last visit, but still, it is so-so at best; this is the only drawback to the meal.

The Tacos Norteños have a lot of beef fajita meat.

The best part, however, is the fact that there will always be mariachis roaming around waiting to serenade you and your table.  Since moving to San Antone, I have found a special place in my heart for mariachis and if they are around, I have to get them to play a song.  If you are an out-of-towner, do a little research and suggest something besides La Bamba; some of my favorites include Guadalajara, Rancho Grande, El Mariachi, and Volver.  However, since I was with that special someone, I asked them to play Tu Solo Tu.

If you are in town and looking for that quintessential San Antonio experience, La Fogata will treat you right.  Have a designated driver, a healthy appetite, and $10 for the mariachis.

Value: 9/10 (the margaritas are a little pricey (and you might have more than one during your wait) but the food is reasonable)
Atmosphere: 10/10 (the best patio in town; the way it is set up takes you out of reality and into a fantasy land with a huge fountain and neon glow filled with food, friends, and tequila)
Service: 8/10 (they are usually swamped so the service can be a little slow)
Salsa: 10/10 (amazing salsa; if you are a visitor, you can find jars of it at HEB)
Taste: 9.5/10 (so good! I just wish that they could bring it with the rice!)
Website: http://lafogata.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lafogata
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For Lent I decided to only eat out for one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner a week (unless I am traveling).  In order to continue to publish content to the blog, I really have to plan out my meals to make sure that I try at least one new spot a week.  This past week I checked out Chayitos for lunch.

Situated on the corner where DeZavala turns into Babcock, Chayitos was formerly known as Emmy’s.  A lot of folks have told me good things about this restaurant and I was looking forward to see if there could be a good hole in the wall Mexican restaurant on the Northside.

The interior has an old school Mexican diner type of feel with as much Spanish being spoken as English.  The dining area is pretty large and in the corner is a projection TV that shows a strange assortment of music videos.  While we were there we saw Whitesnake, Bruno Mars, and early 90s U2 videos; it is extremely random.

Even though it was a Saturday, they had a lunch special that included two cheese enchiladas, puffy taco, rice, beans, and an iced tea for $5.49!  I couldn’t believe that I could get that kind of price on the weekend, and knew that I had to get the special.

The chips appeared to be deep fried versions of their corn tortillas as they come out extremely hot and crispy.  The salsa was so-so and seemed like it had a lot of canned tomato sauce/paste in it.  In spite of this, it did have a decent enough taste and worked with the very crispy chips.

When I got my plate, I was impressed by the amount of food I was given.  While the puffy taco wasn’t all that puffy (it seemed more like a gordita), the picadillo meat that came in it was very flavor and spicy.  The enchiladas were really good as well, with a thick sauce and melted cheese.  Even though I like my gravy to have meat in it, these enchiladas really brought it.

Can you believe I got all this food (with an iced tea) for just $5.49?

The old standards really made the meal.  The rice and beans had such a good taste that I didn’t even bother to put salsa on them – a rarity of any restaurant I visit.  Although the tortillas were not very thick, they were extremely chewy and had a lot of substance to them.  With a little crisp on the outside, they could have made a meal on their own with some honey!  Even though I had tons of food, I managed to take down a second tortilla because they were so delicious.

I am glad to have finally found Mexican food on the Northside that not only tastes good, but is also priced right.

Value: 10/10 (if you stick with the daily special you will get a ton of food and tea for less than $6 (even on the weekend!), otherwise it is probably $7 a plate)
Atmosphere: 8.5/10 (old school Mexican restaurant feel; randomly has this huge projection screen TV showing eclectic music videos)
Service: 10/10 (very prompt service and quick delivery of food)
Salsa: 6/10 (kind of some weak sauce; the only low point in the experience)
Taste: 9/10 (really enjoyed the meal; if the salsa was better it would have been a 10!)

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If you like food, then you need to download the iPhone app called Foodspotting immediately (if you have an Android phone, I hear that they are in Beta right now).  In a nutshell, Foodspotting gives you the chance to snap a picture of what you’re eating, tell what it is and where you got it, and post any information you think would be interesting about the dish.

I really love to use Foodspotting when I am torn on what to order at a restaurant.  It is easy to see what other folks have spotted and what their experience/recommendations are.  This alone is worth getting the app.

The other reason that Foodspotting is awesome  is that I can browse restaurants while I’m at home and see where I should eat in the near future.  The platform is so easy to use and a lot of fun.

Recently, I published a couple of guides that you might be interested in: San Antonio Joe’s Favorite Mexican Food, San Antonio Joe’s Favorite Margaritas, and San Antonio Joe’s Top Beer Joints.  If you spot five of the items on a guide you can get a cool badge for your Foodspotting profile like the ones seen below.  On top of that, if you are the first person to spot ALL the items in a guide, I will mail you a cool prize (and yes, it is cool)!

I hope you can follow San Antonio Joe on Foodspotting and that you enjoy the app as much as I do!